Outcome
by ensngre
Summary: Together, they should have been invincible. A story of brotherhood.


**Outcome**

by

ensngre

* * *

The blood, the blood… _Kikuichi-monji_… the blade of the Kikuihi-monjis thriving for blood had at last been stilled.

The boy felt its gentle thrill when he pushed it even further through the heart of the one he once had called "brother". Studying the whiskered face in front of him, apparent of shock and betrayal and hurt, the ghost image of a younger Naruto flickering in and out of his vision, trading places with the current. They had been so young when they first met…

A moan of pain, stifled with desperate cries escaped the mouth belonging to the Sun God. Suddenly, he felt no pressure on the hilt, as Naruto staggered backwards, effectively sliding his body off the blade. Bringing his right hand to his chest, without success trying to stop the blood flow, he locked the black-haired teen with a dying mans glance. It hurt, it stinged so much, the damage and the pain in the process of synchronizing with his neural network.

The only local sounds his ragged breaths. "Sas…" Throwing up blood, he was forced to get support from his knees with his inactive hand. Coughing, not bothering to spit out the blood dominating his senses. "Sasuke…"

What he saw next was a bright flash, as bright as the Sun, despite it being nightfall. And before he knew it, a cold and damp prescence had found its way to his stomach.

But Naruto had not impaled Sasuke.

Watching him pant in his injured state, Sasuke did not need to question why he had chose not to, knowing all too well the deep importance of their bond in Naruto's heart. Even until the end.

"You and I, we were…" Hiding his face under his sweaty golden locks; he blazed anew with a rekindled spirit of fire, staring down his killer rebellious. "We were supposed to be comrades! _To watch each other's backs!_ To…" Tilting his head downward, he watched his own hand enclosing the kunai pressed against his dearest brother's torso. Shaking, he continued, his trembling arm seemingly frozen in an angle he did not want. "To take care of each other… to cherish each other…"

Sasuke gripped Naruto's right arm tenderly with his own, still holding Kikuichi-monji in his left. Looking into those azure orbs, "Naruto, oh beloved brother - what has become of us? Look! Our pasts forgotten…" Knowing he had not much time, judging from the uneven breathing the blonde, he carried on, fastening his hold on his arm. "Can I come with you?"

When all hope had been lost, when the world couldn't get darker, it lightened. Naruto concentrated the remaining scraps of willpower he had left on his once-lost family, searching for deceits or mind-tricks.

He couldn't help but to express a determined nod in permission. Sasuke returned with equal decisiveness. The hand which had now stopped shaking thrust into his stomach, puncturing the artery, with the help and support of its reliable companion belonging to the other boy.

A sense of wonder spread through Sasuke like a wildfire; it was a feeling he was unable to express in any tounge. Absently, he wondered, _did mother and father experience this, also?_

Then the strain on Naruto's body became too great, and he screamed falling to his knees, clutching at Sasuke and bringing him down with him. Feeling the tense grip Naruto had and throwing the sword to the ground, he brought a tired arm around his shoulder, smirking, "You're hurting me, Naruto". Naruto just huffed.

"Choose your words carefully; it might be the last thing you say," and tried to chuckle, but his lungs wouldn't let him, and he fell forward on the ground, clutching and crying and shaking in pain.

Only he didn't. Sasuke was there. He supported his weight, and assumed responsibility like a sibling would. Patting his back, even though he knew it was futile. A sharp pain presented itself harshly in his abdomen, not getting control, gritted his teeth, still not getting control, and fell to his left.

The second after, Naruto came crashing down in front of him, unable to hold an upright stature on his own. Between dripping eyes and gasped intakes, he asked if dark-haired friend was alright. Both spent some ten seconds of their limited time laughing, or trying to laugh, usually resulting in sounds the human communication sense normally wouldn't be able to rubricate.

Naruto asked if the others would be alright, with them still being in Sound territory and all. Sasuke answered that yes, they probably would, seeing as they had Sakura to look after them. Naruto put up a weak grin.

Despite their conditions, it would later be shown that they had in fact been able to position themselves in a manner where they both supported each other with their arms nestled under the other's head. Lying on their backs, their index and middle fingers had stiffened in a pecuilar way - pointing outwards while the rest of the hand was curled up in a fist.

Unbeknownst to the invading and conquering Konoha troops, this had been their secret, treasured handshake, in the same fashion it had been so many years ago. And… _together_… they smiled.

* * *

**A/N**: I wish there was an easy way to express the bond between Naruto and Sasuke in plain textual form. The last chapter left me with such loss at the words Sasuke said.  
About the fic… considering the possibilities and potential of this scenario, I didn't do a very good job. It needs to be revisioned, and the ending wasn't quite satisfying. Thank you for reading this far. 


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